Third to joseph borgmeyer



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No. 509,378. Patented Nov. 28, 1893.

Qw E S s E N H W ATTORNEY (No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. a L. W. HUGELMEIER.

POTATO DIG-GER.

No. 509,378. I Patented Nov. 28, 1893.

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WITNSSES INVENTOR %@.L' W {MM%%Q A m/,w

ATTORNEY LIYHOGRAFHXNG COMFANV.

WASHINGTON n c (No Model.)

L. W. HUGELMEIER.

POTATO BIGGER.

WITNESSES ml NATIONAL LITNGGRAPHING COMPANY wAmmmou. o, c.

3 SheetsSheet 3.

Pa tented Nov. 28, 1893.

INVENTOR ATTO RN EX UNITED STATES ATENT -riricni.

LOUIS W. HUGELMEIER, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRD TO JOSEPH BORGMEYER, OE SAME PLACE.

POTATO-DIGGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,378, dated November 28, 1893.

Application filed April 5, 1893. Serial No. 469,240- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS W. HUGELMEIER, of Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Potato-Diggers, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear,

and exact description.

This invention relates to potato diggers and consists in certain details of construction and operation of parts, all as hereinafter more fully pointed out and specifically referred to in the claim.

In the annexed drawings similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all views, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a rear end view. Fig. 3 is a front end view and Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the same.

ais the side frame of the forward section of the machine, intended to be used as a support for the operative parts thereof.

bb are the forward carrying wheels; e is the axle of said wheels to which is secured the bevel gear c, held to said axle by the pin d.

cis another bevel gear, meshing with -c-, which is pinned to the shaft pby the key or pin fwhile the radial arms 00 project from said shaft p-, the purpose of said arms being to brush aside or raise weeds and vegetation growing above the ground, said vegetation being raised and carried by the arms 0 onto the arms nnof the sloping platform m from whence they fall over the platform to the ground at the side of the machine.

sis a bearing block through which passes the standard -tonto which the plow wis secured so as to break the top surface of the ground preparatory to digging the potatoes and said standard tis adjustable vertically in the block,or cross-piece s, being held in place by the set-screw 1' bearing on the standard t.

-uuare bolts to connect the union couplings uand y respectively to the front and rear frames --a-- and -A-* of the machine, while xis the king bolt which connects the couplings vand yand upon which they turn.

A is the side piece or frame of the rear section or digger proper.

BBIare the supporting wheels keyed onto the axle D by the key F. is the journal box in which said axle revolves and N- is a sprocket wheel fixed on said axle D to revolve therewith; N being another sprocket wheel on the axle --L which latter is revoluble in the journal -K- being held adjustably in the yoke J by the adjusting screw -M so as to be used to adjust the tension of the chains GG-- secured to which are the bars H- carrying the rake teeth II.

Pivoted. at --T'1 are the riddle-bars TT which extend from thence forward beyond the end of the frame A and are projected below a horizontal plane on a gradual incline so as to be capable of penetrating the soil after it has been relieved of its top crust by the plow -W, said riddle bars lying normally in position to enter the ground, but being controlled in the elevation of their forward endsby the rocking cams Y- secured rigidly on the shaft Z, the position of said vcams Y being controlled through the medium of the, lever --W fastened to said shaft Z by the key Z'- so that when said lever -W is in its forward position, as shown in Fig. 1 the cams Y- and bars T- will be at their lower position, but upon carrying the free end of the lever --W back and engaging it with the rack W- said cams -Y will be elevated at their free ends, thus causing corresponding elevation of the forward ends of said riddle bars T- so as to pass freely over the ground.

The frame -A has a rearward extension A" which, with the bottom bars T and sliding end gate --S-, constitute a reservoir or receptacle into which the potatoes pass after passing over the lengths of the riddle bars --'I and they are retained in said receptacleuntil a sufficient quantity has accumulated therein, whereupon the end gate may be raised by depression ofthe forward end of the lever Q- which is connected by the link R- with said end gate -S, the lever -Q being pivoted at P in the bearing O- rising from said frame A.

A is a seat supported above the rear portion of the machine in convenient proximity to the levers VV- and Q- so as to enable the driver to operate said levers from said seat.

The operation of the device is as follows: Horses being hitched to the cross bar -h the machine is drawn over the ground resting on the traction wheels -bB; the plow VV- is lowered into position as are also the riddle bars T. Progression of the device will cause the rake arms 00 to revolve with the shaft pthus clearing away weeds, 850., from before the plow W, which enters the soil sufficiently far to remove the top crust, leaving the points of the riddle bars -T-T to enter below and raise upon them the potatoes in the ground. The gradual inclination of the forward end of the bars --T- will permit the potatoes to pass up such incline onto the horizontal portion of the riddle-bars, where they are met by the rake teeth II. Said rake teeth being secured to the cross pieces H- and the latter being connected to the chains G said rake teeth will pass forward with the upper section of said chains -G- and said teeth will pass between the bars -T and crowd the potatoes back into the receptacle A" until a sufficient quantity have accumulated therein when the lever -Q may be depressed to raise the end gate -S and permit the potatoes therein to fall off onto the ground from whence they may be gathered at leisure. It will be apparent that the carrying wheels may be set farther back if desired in the front sectionor frame a in which case the rake may precede such wheels and such form will give some additional support for the plow as the wheels will then be nearer the straining point. So, also, may the rear wheels be set forward upon the shaft N if desired and be within the spirit of the present invention but for olearness of illustration the present style of construction is shown. Additional braces may be connected at the point of union between the forward and rear sections of the device-if desired though it is desirable that the machine may turn around in ashort circle if possible.

Having described my invention, what I claim is In a potato-digger a revoluble rake in connection with the forward driving or supporting Wheel, an adjustable plow at the rear of said rake, a set of adjustable riddle bars ending at their free ends in digging points, a lever and a series of cams lying below the forward end of said riddle bars adapted to control the elevation of the free ends thereof, a reservoir at the rear end of said riddle bars, a rear supporting axle, a series of sprocket- Wheels and chains connected in their movement with said rear axle, a series of rake-teeth carried by said chains over and between said riddle bars and a movable gate closing the reservoir in combination with a pivoted lever connected to said gate at one end and adapted to control the movement thereof, all in combination substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of February, 1893.

LOUIS WV. HUGELMEIER.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK H. GIBBS, J os. BORGMEYER. 

